


Nothing Like Imported Goods

by duchessofwraiths



Series: The Little Town I Call Home(stuck) [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: (only a little though), Everyone's Fucking White, F/M, M/M, Marijuana, So Serious
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-23
Packaged: 2018-01-09 11:17:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1145339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duchessofwraiths/pseuds/duchessofwraiths
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The point of view varies between Karkat Vantas, an aspiring linguist who moved to Denton from the Dominican Republic in third grade, and Terezi Pyrope, a redheaded blind girl who loves dragons, as they navigate the pitfalls of being head over fucking twelve inch heels with each other. Chapter titles are stolen from romantic comedies, as they should be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When Harry Met Sally

“This is Karkat Vantas. He moved from the Dominican Republic. We’re all going to be very nice to Karkat. He’s still learning English. Say hello, Karkat.”

The kid didn’t say anything.

“Say _hola_ , Karkat.”

“ _Hola_.”

“You can sit down anywhere. Sit. Down. How about over there, next to Terezi?”

He was not in the mood for this. Two days since they got unpacked and already he had to go to _la estupida escuela_ where he knew nobody and everyone looking at him like he’s _un pollo_ or something in the middle of _el ciudad._ And he gotta sit next to la niña del dragón with her stupid hat? No. Nuh-uh.

Sitting down and already the girl up in his face.

“Me llamo Terezi. That’s all I know. That’s all the Spanish I know.”

He didn’t know part of that but he gets it. She was trying to make friends or something. She could go try with some white boys, he didn’t give a damn. Could she even see?

“You see?”

“No. I’ve been blind since I turned six and I got into a really bad accident but that was two years ago so I’m healthy now!”

“Healthy?”

“I am…okay. Good. Alive.”

“ _Si_ , I got it.” He opened his bag and got out a pencil.

“You need a piece of paper?”

“Goodbye.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Adios, it’s over.”

“You don’t know that much English do you? Are you trying to say go away?”

“Adios!”

“Calm down, I’m just joking.” She leaned onto his desk. The teacher was talking about something like…shapes or something. He didn’t get it.

“I could teach you English, you know?”

“No.”

“Come on! It’ll be way fun! My name is Terezi Pyrope!”

“Your name is Terezi.”

“You rolled the r, that’s so cool! Can you smile?”

He scowled more.

“Actually you don’t roll the r in my name though. But it’s cool, it sounds like growling! Like a dragon. I love dragons. Do you know about dragons?”

“You have…dragon…on your…sweater.”

“Oh on my hoodie?” She patted her front. “Yeah, I know. Can you tell me what you look like?”

“Dominican.”

“No not where you’re from. What color are your eyes? Is your skin really a different color?”

“Terezi! Leave him alone.” The teacher said.

“His skin is brown like a walnut or something!” another girl said, this one with fancy hair. She was tall.

“Kana-yaaaaaa, that’s a lie! It’s more like a almond!”

“You’re the first brown person I’ve met. Everyone here is white white white!”

“ _Lo se_. I can see. White. White.”

“Do you wanna come over to my house and play tomorrow? We can play Dominican games!”

“No.”

“I can teach you English.”

“Si. I know.”

“Si means yes! So you’ll come!”

“No.”

“Please.” She had her eyes open and they were scary eyes, man. Like a dragon.

“Okay.”

“Yay!!” She started clapping excitedly and the teacher rolled his eyes.


	2. He's Just Not That Into You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepovers in fifth grade. Weren't those fun?

“So the way this game works-it’s called Seven Minutes in Heaven because the guys are in heaven and the girls feel like it’s only been seven minutes.” Vriska laughed at her own...was it a joke? Karkat didn't understand it.

“Isn’t it only seven minutes?”

“Exactly.”

“I don’t get it.” Aradia said flatly.

“That’s because you’re not mature enough to understand.” Vriska threw something on the ground. Plastic. Round. It was a water bottle. She was spinning it. She was spinning a goddamned water bottle.

“Isn’t this Spin the Bottle?”

“Terezi, it’s a better version.”

“I don’t even think the first version is good.” Karkat said. “Besides, we’re all like niños and nobody even knows how to kiss correct? Correcta- _correctamente_ and it’s not gonna be fun-”

“Translation, please. I don’t speak Dominican.”

“It’s fucking Spanish, _pendejo_.”

“He says we’re all kids so we don’t know how to kiss.”

“Maybe you don’t, but I do.”

“ _Si?_ Prove it.”

“Come on, Tavros.” Vriska dragged him up to his feet and the two of them went into the closet. It wasn’t even seven minutes that Karkat got to watch Eridan blow bubbles with purple gum before she burst back out, spluttering.

“Tavros is a bad kisser!” she wailed. Tavros stumbled out after her.

“I don’t know what I did wrong.”

“I still don’t get this game, Vriska.” Aradia complained.

“There are seven of us! Seven minutes in Heaven! What don’t you get?!”

“I bet I can win this game.” Terezi said loudly. “I bet I win everything.”

“There are no prizes, stupid. It’s a kissing game.”

“I bet I still win.”

“Oh yeah? Then go do it with…” Vriska looked at all of them. “Aradia!”

“Ew! She’s a girl!” Aradia said. “And I don’t get how to play!”

“It doesn’t matter if she’s a girl!”

“I don’t like girls!”

“You _are_ a girl!”

“No I mean _like_ like.”

“What is _like_ like?” Tavros asked.

Eridan laughed. “You’re such a kid, Tavros. How can you not know what _like_ liking is?”

“I think Karkat should go with Terezi.” Sollux said.

Vriska’s eyes narrowed. “Why would Karkat want to go with Terezi?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

They both turned to Karkat. “Well?”

“I-I don’t know. What are you asking me?”

“You suck, Karkat. Now go in the closet with Terezi. You have to stay there for seven whole minutes.”

“Vriska didn’t stay for seven whole minutes! Also I have to go to the bathroom.”

“You can wait.” Vriska opened the closet door.

“There isn’t even a light!” Terezi said.

“So? You’re always in the dark anyways!”

Terezi crossed her arms angrily. “That was really mean.”

“Yeah, that was really mean Vriska.” Eridan added. “You’re being mean.”

“I just want to play this one game!”

“Fine, we’ll go in the stupid closet.” Karkat helped Terezi get up.

“Ooh, they’re holding hands!”

“You did it with Tavros!”

“Tavros is not a real person!”

“How can you say that?” Aradia demanded. “Tavros is my best friend!”

“I thought I was your best friend.” Sollux said.

“Karkat’s your best friend.”

“Karkat’s _Terezi’s_ best friend.” Sollux retorted.

“I’m Terezi’s best friend. Right Terezi?”

Terezi yanked Karkat with her. “We’re going in the closet! Goodbye!”

“Have fuuuuuuuun!” Vriska called after them.

~~~

Once they were actually in the closet, Karkat stared at the shadowy figure that was Terezi sitting on the floor. He had remained standing, and for good reason. This was a closet, not a bedroom. Who knew what Vriska stored in her closets?

“What are we supposed to do?”

“Well I know what we’re supposed to do but I don’t think you want to do that.” Terezi said.

“What is it?”

“We’re supposed to, you know, kiss.” She made a wiggly motion with her head.

“Oh. Ew. That’s gross.” He made a face and she nodded in agreement.

“Besides, we’re fifth graders. That’s not even supposed to happen till we’re older, you know, like when we’re in high school and stuff. Then you can kiss me.”

“Why would I kiss you in high school?” Karkat asked in confusion.

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re not gonna. I don’t see the future. I don’t know.”

“Okay.” He held in what he wanted to say, _you can’t see anything_ , because neither one of them could really see anything and also it was mean.

He drummed his fingers on the wall. “She’s got a Ouija board in here.”

“So?”

“So it glows in the dark. We could summon a ghost or something.”

“Aren’t you Hispanics supposed to be super religious?”

“No.”

“You go to church on Sunday.”

“So do you.”

“Yeah, but my mom makes me.”

“So does mine.”

She played with the arm of her glasses.

He shrugged. “We could kiss a little.”

“Why would we kiss when we can play with ghosts?”

“I don’t know. For practice when I get a girlfriend.”

“Or when I get a boyfriend!”

“We should just play with ghosts.”

“Yeah.”

He slid down to sit across from her, taking down the box and opening it.

“I’m probably gonna need some help with it because you know, I can’t…”

“Right, I forgot. Okay. I’ll just…” He put his hand over hers and she coughed.

“Ew! Why would you cough on me?”

“I got nervous.”

“Don’t be afraid of ghosts, Terezi. You like dragons and they’re way scarier right?”

She took a deep breath. “Right.”

“So I just move your hand over the little triangle thing and…there you go.”

“What am I doing?”

“Nothing yet. Ask a question.”

“Were dragons ever real?”

“No a serious question.” Karkat said, voice hushed.

“Okay. What is Karkat going to be when he grows up?”

“Why are you asking about me?”

“Because you’re in front of me and you’re holding my hand!”

“I’m not holding your hand!”

“Yes you are!”

Karkat dropped his hand immediately from hers.

“Now I can’t figure out what’s happening.”

“Is your hand moving?”

“No-uh, kind of. What’s it moving to?”

Karkat stared at the letters. “It says ritter.”

“What is ritter?”

“Writer? Maybe the ghost can’t spell.”

“Ooh! This is fun! You do one!” She giggled.

He took the plastic triangle from her and held it over the board. “What should I ask?”

“Ask about the meaning of life?”

“Spirit, what is the meaning of life?”

“What’s it say what’s it say?” Terezi said eagerly, bouncing up and down.

“Wait! I’m waiting!” His hand moved to the letters L…O…

“It says love.”

“You only picked that because you like romantic movies!”

“Fine! What is the meaning of life?”

“What’s it saying?”

“It says…africa.”

“Africa is the meaning of life? Is that because we all come from Africa?”

“I come from the Dominican Rpeublic and you’re Irish.”

“No before that! We come from Africa.”

“That just doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s evo-lu-shun, dummy.” She put her face up close to his. “Evo-lu-shun.”

“Shut up.”

“Evo. Lu. Shun.”

His hand slipped and he fell forward onto her, knocking her backwards.

“Ouch! Has it been seven minutes yet? I don’t like this game.” Karkat spoke into her face. They were that close to each other.

“They probably only let us out if we kiss though.” Terezi shrugged. “Get off of me.”

“Okay fine.”

Karkat stuck his mouth on hers and he tasted like chips. The closet door opened.

“Look they actually kissed! Tavros and I only touched tongues! Look they’re kissing!”

“Shut up Vriska!” Karkat rolled off Terezi, blinking at the light.

“That’s not kosher.”

“You can’t just be Jewish all the time, Sollux.” Vriska told him.

“My mother is Jewish. That makes me Jewish. I am Jewish all the time because I am Jewish!”

The Ouija board slid out into the room and Aradia screamed. Karkat vowed to himself to never kiss a girl again. He later broke that vow at an eighth grade party with a popular girl named Kanaya Maryam who told him he needed to be more confident but she liked his accent. 


	3. Clueless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat really is.

“When did Karkat get hot? Jesus Christ.” Vriska nudged Terezi, and Terezi tried very hard to not fall off the fence they were perched on outside the school. The first day didn’t start for another twelve minutes according to Vriska’s watch, and they were waiting for all their friends to show up.

“I don’t know.” Terezi answered mournfully, picking at her skirt. “Do I look okay?”

“You look smoking, whatever. But check him out-right. You can’t. Ha. Forgot about that.”

“Thanks, Vris.”

“Look at those-he must have been working out or something. What did he do over the summer? He looks way older than thirteen.”

“He was working at his uncle’s shop. I think it’s a car repair shop. Also, he’s fourteen.”

“Right I forgot about the age difference. Nothing hotter than an older man. I might just get myself some of that. Those biceps are built, man. I bet when he takes off his shirt-”

Terezi’s face was getting hotter. “Please shut up, Vris.”

“I mean he was always cute, you know? But now that we’ve hit high school he has developed into a major hottie. Let’s call him over. Hey Karkat!”

“I’m going to eat you.”

“Vantas! Yo _Vantas!_ ”

Once Karkat was in front of them, breathing softly (at least he still sounded the same), Vriska clicked her tongue.

“When did you get hot?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I mean, damn, Karkat, you even got Terezi blushing and she has no shame!”

“Terezi can’t see me.”

“No, but I’ve been describing-”

“Vriska, isn’t that Tavros over there?”

“You’re blind, how the hell would you know?”

“I can hear his wheels rolling. Don’t you want to go see how he’s doing? He had a really bad accident.”

“That’s American Sign Language for fuck off, Serket.” Karkat told her. Vriska harrumphed and flounced off.

“You think I’m hot?”

“No.”

“Good, ha, because that’d be fucking weird.”

“Fucking weird. Speaking of which, I heard you’re not taking Spanish.”

“Did Sollux tell you?”

“Yeah why the hell wouldn’t you want an easy A?”

“I thought Latin would be cool.”

“Latin? I’m taking Latin too.”

“Isn’t it just so cool? I mean with Latin I can learn-I can learn French and Italian too.”

“You’re really into languages, huh? I remember when you tried to learn Greek from Aradia.”

“I’m still gonna try that.”

“I’m glad that you have such a cool interest. Finally branching out and becoming a part of the community.” She said sarcastically.

“Excuse me Miss Law and Order I’m Going to Protect the World and Uphold the Rules.”

“I’m not a goody two shoes.”

“What’s that?”

“Oh, you haven’t heard that expression yet? I guess because you’re such a delinquent.”

“I don’t start the fucking fights, Rez. They come at me.”

“Generally that’s because you’ve said come at me bro.”

“Well fuck those fuckers, it’s fight or flight in the jungle-”

“High school is a whole ‘nother place, okay? It’d be great if we weren’t the outcasts or whatever.”

“Were we the outcasts at Denton?”

“I mean, I was the blind chick and you were the new kid.”

“You’re still the blind chick and now we’re both new kids.”

“Could we at least pretend to be cool kids?”

“ _You_ can. I don’t give a shit about that shit.”

She heard a skateboard slide past them on the gravel. “Who’s that? He sounds cool.”

“Some asshole with sunglasses and a skateboard. His hair’s way blonde, almost white, and his shirt’s got some band on it I’ve never heard of.”

“Sounds hot.”

Karkat growled low in his throat. “Fucking white boys.”

“We should start a band. Karkles and Rez.”

“I’ll kill you.”

“Can you call him over?”

“what, now?”

“Yes now! I want to make friends! Don’t you?”

“I’ve got you and Sollux.”

“Sollux is still hooking up with Aradia, so you don’t really got Sollux.”

“I’ve got you.”

Terezi swallowed. “Yeah, you do. You’ve always got me, remember? Now call him over.”

“Hey douchebag! Yeah, I’m talking to you! My girl wants to talk to you! Alright, he’s coming over.”

“I’m your girl now?” she smiled.

“No. N-no. That’s not what I meant. It’s slang-slang, you know? For like my fr-friend, mi amigo, except it’s mi amiga, cause you’re a girl, right?”

Terezi rolled her eyes.

“What up.” A new voice. This must be the guy.

“You sound like a cool kid.”

“So I’ve been told. Hey, are you blind?”

“Yeah. Cool, huh?”

“Nothing cooler than seeing the world through eyes that can’t see.”

“What are you, a poet?” Karkat demanded.

“I rap, actually.”

“He raps. He fucking raps. I swear to God-”

“Your accent is awesome, by the way, man.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Terezi grinned. “You guys are getting along so well.”

“Terezi, you’re batshit and I’m out of here.” Karkat walked off, footsteps receding into the distance of school, hopefully.

“Just you and me.” The guy said.

“Can I try on your shades?”

“No.”

“Wanna come get burgers in a celebratory first day of high school type thing?”

“Just us, or…”

“No, Karkat and I made plans with Sollux. Sollux is the nerdiest nerd you will ever meet, but he gets all the girls.”

“You haven’t met Dave Strider yet.”

“Who’s that?”

“Me.”

Ooh, that was smooth. Terezi smirked. “You live in the next town over?”

“No, I moved here to Denton just a couple months ago. My dad got married again. It’s ridiculous.”

“Awesome, a new kid! Our last one was Karkles, and that was back in third grade.”

“Can I bring my friend?”

“How’d you make a friend already?”

“No, he was my friend on the internet.”

“No molesters allowed, I’m sorry.”

“No. John Egbert. Do you know him?”

“Kind of. He’s welcome. The more the merrier!”

“Maybe we should invite a girl along or something, cause it sounds like you’re gonna be the only one there.”

“Karkat counts as a girl, it’s fine.”

“Have you always been blind?”

“What?” Terezi pulled her skirt down a little. “Yeah.”

“You don’t know what he looks like.”

“I assume Dominican, right?”

“He doesn’t count as a girl though.”

“Whatever you say. Bell’s ringing.” She grinned and stood up. High school was going to be _awesome._


	4. 13 Going on 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat and Terezi go to a party.  
> Separately, of course.

“You sure you want to throw a Christmas party, Aradia?”

Aradia smiled, tucking a strand of curly black hair behind one ear. Terezi heard it slide against her skin and pursed her lips in suspicion. _Someone_ was currently aglow. What reason did she have?

“Well, however am I supposed to become sophomore class president if I don’t start the campaign early?”

“Yes, but we don’t really know anyone yet.”

“The whole point is getting to know people!” There was rustling and suddenly Terezi’s hands were clasped as Aradia started speaking very, very fast.

“The more people I know, the more popular I get! The more popular I get, the more chance I have of winning! The more chance I have of winning, the more chance there is that we get to go to an actual archaeological dig next year as a grade-wide trip! Wouldn’t that be just so exciting?”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with Sollux, right?”

“Nothing at all. I mean, I invited him, but he doesn’t have to come. This is really all about celebrating the birth of whoever the heck it was-”

“Jesus.”

“Look, I’m not Christian okay?”

“Which is why it’s very weird that you’re throwing a Christmas party.”

“Ooh, do you think we could do like, a live Nativity scene?”

Terezi’s head whipped left to glare. “Nepeta that is an appalling idea.”

Terezi had barely known Nepeta back in middle school up until the eighth grade prom, when she had destroyed the snack table in a fit of rage corresponding to either her date’s inability to keep his hands off her body or the inadequacy of the snack offering…it hadn’t been elaborated on since. Nepeta hadn’t gotten in any trouble for it because she didn’t attend their middle school, being homeschooled up until now.

“Karkat could be Jesus.”

Terezi’s nostrils flared as she tried to not crack up. “That is horrifying.”

“Come on, who doesn’t want Hispanic Jesus?”

“Are you Christian?”

“I’m Jewish. Duh. Do you see a cross around my-haha, right. Never mind.” She was still bouncing up and down on the bed, and Terezi’s glasses slid down her nose. She pushed them up.

“Yo, you think Karkat will be up to it?”

“It would be funny.” Terezi admitted. A grin spread over her face, teeth sharp.

“Plus, Dave’s totally coming.” Aradia nudged her.

“Shut up! Dave and I are just friends.”

“Friends like you and me, or friends like me and Sollux?”

“I’m no longer discussing this subject. Dave is a rad guy-”

“Because everyone says rad nowadays.”

“母は夕食の準備ができていると言います。女の子は私たちと一緒に食べるようになる?”

Nepeta stopped bouncing. Terezi recognized the voice as Aradia’s older sister Miyu, or Damara as she liked to be called now that they were in America. She’d moved from Japan with her mother (currently working as a maid) before Aradia was born, but preferred speaking in her native language to anything else. Damara said something else, and Aradia replied in Japanese.

“Do you guys want to stay for dinner?”

“What’s for dinner?” Nepeta asked.

“Damara says teriyaki.”

“Cool!” The bed lifted and Nepeta’s spearmint scent moved away. “Terezi, you up for it?”

Terezi nodded. “We can discuss party theme. Are you sure you don’t want to invite Vriska?”

“She ruined my hair.”

“Yeah, but it was last summer."

"Why do you care?"

"You know she'll crash it anyways."

"As long as I don't run into her, I don't give a damn." Aradia snapped her fingers, presumably in a Z-formation. Nepeta started giggling. 

"Let's go eat."

\---

“I call bullshit. There’s no way that they played that first. That’s the worst song on the album! It’s too light for heavy metal, you know what I’m saying? I mean, he talks about his mother. This beat is pretty rocking, damn. I mean I hate pop and all but it sure is something to dance to!”

“Hey Vriska.” Terezi caught her by the arm when she heard her laugh. Vriska was wearing some sort of sequined outfit that was surely too gaudy to be anything but ironic.

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something kind of weird?”

“Hit me fast, I just heard that Aradia’s pool is filling up and I want to do a cannonball!”

“What does Dave look like right now?”

Vriska stopped dancing and turned (to face her?). “Why?”

“I’m considering whether or not to kiss him and I want to know what he looks like first.”

“Crazy eights, Rez! I’ve never had you pegged for a skank.”

“It’s not skanky. I’m at a party, I want to have some fun…I hear that he’s attractive.”

“The tall skinny white boy has never been my type. I’m more into built guys.” Vriska hunched her shoulders in demonstration.

“Just give me an explanation like you’re describing him to a police sketch artist.”

“Okay…uh…”

“Vriska!”

“He’s wearing a suit, the pretentious fuck. I just saw him.”

“A suit? What kind of suit?”

“Red? Actually, I’m gonna go grab Aradia so she can tell you because I have just spotted a floating lantern! Way JAPAN! GO JAPAN!” Vriska left her. In a few minutes Aradia was by her side. Terezi reached out to touch her dress and smiled.

“You chose the blue one.”

“Hell yes I did.”

“Kimono too Japanese for your Japan-themed party?”

“I thought it’d be cooler if the actual Japanese people were in regular dresses.”

“Like in an anime.”

“You know nothing about anime. You’ve been talking to Nep too much.”

“She’s really fucking awesome, actually.”

“Your cursing is surely a product of Karkles, right?”

“Shut up about Karkat, I don’t want to think about him right now. I’m in the mood to get funky.”

“So come dance!”

“No. I mean with…Dave Strider.”

“I approve.” Aradia said instantly. “I mean, there’s a reason I shouldn’t-”

“Anything I should know?”

“No, it’s got nothing to do with Dave himself.”

“Oh. Okay. So can you describe what he looks like tonight so I can imagine it?”

“Red suit.”

“I know that already. It’ll go with the green pantsuit I’m wearing.”

“Which by the way looks great. Still has his shades on, the red suit offsets his alabaster skin perfectly…he has a sly little smile on his face like he knows something we don’t, getting a very James Bond vibe from this guy. You can be a Bond girl!”

“Preferably one that doesn’t get killed by Goldfinder.”

“Goldfinger.”

“You know I’m more into film noir than action movies.”

“Yeah, nobody is into action except me and Tavros. So what do you think? He’s looking fine tonight.”

“Tavros?” Terezi recoiled.

“No! I meant Dave.”

“He’s looking fine.”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Then hell yes, let me call him over. Which direction is he in?”

Aradia helped her revolve to the right angle. “Want me to wait?”

“I got this. Thanks. Go find Sollux!”

“I will!” She squealed in happiness.

“Hey Strider!”

Okay shit, Karkat was calling him. She’d walk over to them. Terezi walked until she felt the floor change and knew she was in the kitchen.

“Hey Karkat, I need to ask Dave something.”

“What is it?” Dave asked.

“Uh, I need to ask it in private.”

“Is this lady stuff?”

“Karkat, why would I be asking Dave about a woman’s problem when I have Vriska, Aradia, and Nep-”

“That Nepeta chick is wack as hell. I think she’s on drugs right now.”

“She’s like that all the time. Can I borrow Dave for a couple minutes?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. I’ll go check out the pool.”

“No, we’ll leave. You stay in the kitchen.”

There was a pause. “…Okay.” Karkat walked out muttering about crazy blind girls, and Terezi smelled the earthy tangerines leave.

“Pyrope, what’s your poison?”

“I’ll have a Diet Coke, thanks.”

“Diet? You’re thinner than the Eiffel Tower.”

“How thin is that?”

“Well actually, she’s got wide hips, so…”

Terezi laughed, and Dave handed her a can. She felt around and it was already open. Tilting her head back, she drank a copious amount before wiping her mouth and setting it down.

“Do you want to have a little fun?”

“Little fun like how? I don’t do drugs.” He told her.

“No, not like that. I meant hooking up.”

He sucked his teeth. “Seriously?”

“Only a suggestion.”

“I’ll take you up on the offer.”

“So how do we-”

“I think maybe we find a comfier place than the island.”

She grinned, and he was leading her out.

\---

“You’re a vampire.”

“No. I just like vampires. I happen to also look like one.”

Karkat looked her up and down. She was wearing a long dark green dress that made her pale face almost glow in the moonlight.

“Checking me out for the third time? I don’t believe I’ve even caught your name.”

“How is that Christmas-themed?”

“Well, I expected to get a little blood on it before the night was out.”

His eyes widened, and he gave his own ‘ugly Christmas sweater’ an embarrassed glance. “I feel like everyone dressed fancier than I did. My name’s Karkat Vantas.”

“Kanaya Maryam.” She held out her hand. He shook it and she looked amused.

“It’s weird that you’re taller than me.”

“Why do you find that strange?”

“You’re at least six feet but I still think you’re crazy hot.” What was he saying? Oh God, he was making an ass out of himself-she was even laughing. Damn it, damn it. This was why he had looked for the pool in the first place. Damn Terezi. Why did she even need to talk to Dave without him there? His birthday wasn’t for a few months.

“This might amaze you, but even though I’ve got two inches on you I believe we share the same sentiment.”

“You think you’re hot.”

“You.”

“I…think you’re hot.”

“Thank you, we’ve established that. I also find you attractive.”

“What.” Karkat cracked his knuckles on one hand.

“Planning to fight someone?”

“I usually do at every party.” He admitted.

“Lot of blood involved?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to kiss me, or do we have to banter like this all night?”

“I-I mean I’ll kiss you, sure…I guess? If you want me to…” Karkat stammered. Her face came closer to his, and he could see Vriska jumping reflected in her eye for a millisecond.

Then she kissed him, and they fell into the pool.

\---

“This party’s great.” Dave said, handing his shades to Terezi. “Here, let’s switch.”

“The great David Strider took off his sunglasses for lowly me?” she said sarcastically, placing them over her eyes.

“They look good on you.”

“I bet you look good on me too.” She said, winking before realizing it would be hidden.

“Smooth talker.”

“How else did I get you to make out with me?”

“I don’t know, it might be because I go for professional women. That pantsuit fits you like a glove.”

“Glove can’t keep me warm like a fine man.”

“You talk like those films you’re so desperate to get me to watch.” He laughed.

“No one’s ever called me desperate before.”

“I guess I just have that effect on women.”

“We could always make out again.”

“That is certainly an option.” She felt his breath misting over the shades on her face as the remote pressed into her back, but then someone entered the den.

“Dude some girl just tried to eat Karkat.” Tavros said excitedly. “It’s, uh, it’s insane. They’re in the pool and there’s like blood and everything.”

Terezi jolted upright, hitting Dave in the forehead. “Sorry coolkid, gotta jet.”

“I feel like the other woman.” He said, taking her hand. “Take your leave.”

“Were you two hooking up?” Tavros asked. “That’s insane. That’s cooler than the pool thing. Do it again!”

“Tavros, show me to the pool.”

“Do as the lady asks.”

“She’s not a lady, she’s fourteen.”

“Just show me where the fucking pool is already!” Terezi shocked both of them by shouting.

“Okay, god.”

\---

“Where is Karkat?” Terezi demanded.

“I’m in the pool, Terezi.”

“Yeah but you can’t swim.”

“I’m in the shallow end.”

“Well get out.”

“I’m trying-”

“Don’t worry, I have him.” A velvet voice interrupted him.

“Who are you?”

“Kanaya Maryam, aspiring designer.”

“I don’t care what you want to be when you grow up. Why did you try to eat Karkat?” Terezi asked, jumping to conclusions that this was the girl.

“We were merely having a little fun.”

“I was just kissing her, okay?”

“You kissed some random girl youd idn’t even know? I can’t leave you alone for a second! Come on, we’re going.”

“My dad’s supposed to come pick me up.”

“Well, I’ll call him and he’ll pick us both up.”

Aradia was at her side now. “What’s going on?”

“Karkat and I are going home.”

“So soon?” Dave asked, switching out of flirt and into friend mode.

 “Yeah I’m nauseous.”

“No you’re fucking not. Terezi, you’re embarrassing me.”

“I don’t care. Now either help me leave or I’ll trip my way out.”

“I’m gonna kill you.” Karkat muttered, but in a few minutes his wet hand had slipped into hers.

And so they left, Karkat cursing her every minute of the drive back to her place. His father, however, slipped her a five as if this had been her job all along. 

Terezi didn't much care, but it would buy her two milkshakes for when she had a sitdown chat with the errant boy.


End file.
